Trapped
by Keera Reyu
Summary: Set mid season 5. SG-1 are trapped off world when a group of strange people show up, but it isn't the aliens from another planet that they need to be worried about. ch 10 up. the last chapter!
1. Arrival

They watched as the stargate opened, but nobody appeared. It closed a few seconds later. The guards eyed it suspiciously, but apparently didn't think anything of it. Sam hoped that they would simply assume that it was an incoming wormhole, and never think to investigate it.

"Well, it works. Now, how do we actually get to and through the gate?" Daniel asked. They all shared a glance. They had no idea.

* * *

The sun shone brightly as they stepped through the gate. Sam admired the large meadow where the stargate sat. Daniel, on the other hand, was disappointed by the lack of ruins of any kind. Like it normally was, the gate was held by a stone stairway, but there were no markings of any kind. 

"It looks like the civilization that lives here doesn't care much about the stargate." He commented, getting down off the steps and walking around the gate.

"Yeah, I think that's fairly clear from the fact that we're standing in an empty meadow with no greeting party." Jack pointed out. Daniel frowned up at him, and Sam smothered a grin. Teal'c remained impassive.

"So, which way?" Jack commented, glancing at Daniel who was now leaning down to investigate the stone itself.

"Uh, that way." Daniel motioned vaguely to the west, still examining the stone of the stairway.

"Come on Daniel, you're kinda the reason we're here." Jack told him, starting off on the direction Daniel indicated.

"Hang on." Daniel said, standing up and grabbing his bag. "Don't you think this rock looks a little weird, Sam?" She glanced back at him.

"I'm not a mineralogist Daniel. I have no idea." She informed him. He glanced at her, surprised at her tone of irritation. Jack did as well. Sam shrugged uncomfortably at the focus on her. "Sorry Daniel, there's just something about this planet that bugs me." Jack and Teal'c raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged again.

"I guess that means not to take it hard when you yell at us?" Jack teased her. Sam gave him a halfhearted glare.

"Should we not be moving on?" Teal'c asked, unconcerned by Sam's odd mood. She herself was concerned, but said nothing.

"Yeah, probably. Let's head out." Jack said, starting out to the west. The other three followed silently. The meadow quickly gave way to trees, stretching far into the sky. The trees were full of small animals, non-fearing squirrels and small birds. The sun was blocked, but enough light filtered through the leaves to clearly show the way. They walked in silence, either lost in thought or admiring the warm air and cheerful sun that filtered through the trees. It didn't take long to arrive at the ruins. They were in a clearing, allowing the sun to bathe them, as if a spotlight had been shined down on them. Sam felt a momentary fear at first sight of them, but she quickly squished it. What was wrong with her? Jack noticed her falter, and glanced at her in concern. She ignored his glance, and they walked on. Daniel got to work as soon as they arrived, taking out his tools and camera. Teal'c, Jack, and Sam fanned out to check out the perimeter. When it was clear nobody else was in the area, they returned to find Daniel rambling on excitedly about the living style of the peoples who lived on this planet. Teal'c took up point around the ruins and Sam and Jack sat in the sun on a rock pillar that had fallen over.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jack asked Sam as they sat down next to each other. She nodded.

"I'm fine." She assured him. He gave her a disbelieving look, but let it be. Sam relaxed against the rocks behind her, taking in the warm sun. It was December back home in Colorado, and it had been overcast and cold for quite a while. It was wonderful to be in the warmth of a spring or fall sun. (She wasn't sure which one it was) She sighed quietly in peace and listened to Daniel ramble on about this thing and then that. One moment she heard Daniel and felt the warm sun, and the next, she was asleep.

Jack smiled down at Sam in amusement, glad that she could relax enough to sleep. She'd been irritable lately, and he knew she was still upset over the whole ordeal with Orlin. He didn't mind sitting here in the sunshine with the sleeping Sam beside him, and the rambling Daniel behind him. From all indications, this planet was uninhabited, and it was nice to have a little break from work. Teal'c, of course, was unable to just take it easy on an alien planet, but Jack was glad somebody was being duly diligent, since he was quickly relaxing.

Daniel quickly went over the little bit of interesting bit about the people having communal gardens, but when he didn't get a response, he glanced around behind him. He trailed off when he saw that Sam was asleep, Jack looking like he would be as well shortly, and Teal'c nowhere to be seen, more than likely patrolling the perimeter. Though he didn't know it, he agreed with Jack regarding Sam. She had confided a little in him about what she was going through with after Orlin had given himself to stop the bomb. She said the worst was not knowing whether he was dead, or simply reascention. He had tried to convince her that he had reascended, but they both knew that there was no was no way to know for sure. He was glad to see her relaxing.

Teal'c walked quietly through the trees, enjoying the peace and quiet of the forest. After the past five years of turmoil, moments like these were few and far between, and he tried to enjoy them as much as possible. He was focused on the warm sunlight touching his skin when he heard a small noise farther into the woods. He tensed, moving his staff weapon into firing position. The woods were quiet again for a few minutes, but then he heard it again, only closer. He had spent enough time in the forests to know that this wasn't simply a wild animal. It was someone moving around out there, and quickly coming closer. Teal'c rushed back to the ruins, intent on warning the others.

Jack looked up as Teal'c rushed into the clearing, staff at the ready. Jack knew what was up—somebody was in the woods. Jack shook Sam awake and motioned to Daniel as he stood up. Daniel rushed over to them, leaving his tools behind. Sam woke slowly, but without a sound, and stood with them. They stood there, weapons at the ready, waiting for the person to come out, hopefully bringing peace, not war. Nobody came. After a few minutes, Jack glanced at Teal'c. He was still staring into the woods. Jack was sure Teal'c had heard something, but apparently it had chosen to retreat, rather than approach four fight ready people.

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_AN: I know it doesn't quite fit the title yet, but it will later! That is, if I get enough reviews to write the next chapter! JK ;)_


	2. New people

They stood there for a few more minutes, waiting to see if the person would change its mind. Silence filled the clearing, the previously pleasantly warm sun beginning to get hot. Daniel shifted uncomfortably, and Jack glanced at him. He thought it was clear no one was coming, and relaxed.

"Stand down guys." He said, putting his own gun down. The other three relaxed as well.

"Do you have any idea what it was?" Daniel asked Teal'c.

"I do not. Only that it was a person." Teal'c informed him. The four of them glanced back to the forest. Sam shivered involuntarily, feeling the fear of the forest just like she had of the ruins. It passed quickly, but still unnerved her.

"Daniel, I think maybe you should just take some pictures and call it good." Jack told him quietly. He too felt the fear of the forest, and he didn't want to spend anymore time here than he really had to. Daniel nodded and returned to the ruins and his tools, taking out his camera and beginning to take pictures. The other three stood, still facing the forest. Daniel finished quickly and the team started back to the gate. Despite the previous presence and the premonition of danger the humans had felt, the forest was the same going back as it was coming in. The animals still viewed them with curiosity and wonder, and the sunlight still filtered cheerfully through. The only difference was that the team thought it seemed to take longer to reach the edge of the forest, but they passed it off as their imagination.

Jack was in the lead as they cleared the edge of the forest and entered the meadow. The scene at the gate forced him to stop and motion the other three back into the tree line. The meadow was the same, but now a group of people had come through the gate and was unpacking things from a MALP like device. There were five of them, and they appeared to be human from the distance, wearing a simple brown colored outfit similar to those which the SG teams wore, only more closely fitting than the SG ones and no vest. Jack motioned them to the ground just inside the tree line and took out his monocular. The people were human, but they had more advanced weapons and devices than those of the SGC, but not as advanced as say the Tollan. Jack focused his monocular on the MALP like device. It was larger than a MALP, but had the things that one would expect, except for a large box that appeared to be made of stone. He handed the monocular to Sam and turned to Daniel and Teal'c.

"Five humans," he informed them. "I'd say medium danger possibility." Sam nodded her head and handed back the monocular to Jack. Jack paused, trying to determine whether or not to stand up and make first contact. While he was deciding, an animal ran out of the forest into the meadow. It looked like a small deer, only a greenish color and with three small horns. It ran in the general direction of the other group, and one of them took out a weapon and calmly killed it. The four in the forest were slightly shocked at the other group's reaction. Someone in the other group spoke, and SG-1 strained to hear.

"Was that absolutely necessary?" one of them asked. Another answered.

"You know our orders—nothing is to know about what we're doing."

"Somehow, I don't think that included animals." If there was a reply, it was too quiet to hear. SG-1 shared a glance.

"Do we risk it?" Sam asked. Jack hesitated.

"I'll do it," Daniel volunteered. Jack paused, then nodded. Daniel stood up, taking off his P-90 to look as innocent as possible. He started walking out of the tree line, glancing back once at the team. He was almost out of the trees when one of the others noticed him. Rather than call out in friendly greeting, he raised his weapon and took aim. Daniel dropped just in time. The trees behind him swayed from the impact.

"What are you shooting at?" someone else in the group asked.

"Thought I saw someone moving out there."

"Do you want me to investigate?"

"No, I think it hit it, if there really was something there." Daniel quickly scuttled back to the others.

"I suggest we leave the area." Daniel said quietly. The other three nodded. They retreated quickly through the forest and back to the ruins.

"So what do we now?" Sam asked as they took a seat on the pillar in the sun. She was sure that was what Daniel would have asked, if he still wasn't a little shaken up by the fact that he was shot at.

"We wait until they move away from the gate, and then gate home." Jack said matter-of-factly. "We'll go back in a couple of hours. I guess that gives you time to examine the ruins some more, Daniel." He didn't really want to wait here, but he wanted to be close to the gate. They could hear if anybody approached the ruins through the forest, and they knew could get back to the gate quickly from here. They passed the next couple of hours almost the same way they had spent the first few, only with no sleeping and a more tense atmosphere. The forest remained quiet, and two hours later, Jack and Teal'c returned to the gate. Unfortunately, what they found was not what they wanted to see. About six more people had arrived, and they were standing around the gate silently. Jack assumed they were guards of a sort, all around the size of Teal'c. Jack and Teal'c retreated back to the ruins to tell Sam and Daniel the news. Daniel didn't bother to ask what they were going to do next.

They waited another two hours, and then returned to the gate. Six people had left, but five still remained, and two of those were the guards that had come in the second group. Once again, Jack and Teal'c retreated, only this time, they were walking toward a setting sun. The day was quickly ending. Daniel and Sam were waiting when they arrived in the ruins.

"We're currently outnumbered by the people guarding the gate, and there's little chance of pulling off a surprise attack in that meadow. It's getting late; I suggest we camp here for the night. In the morning, if we still can't get to the gate, Hammond will open the gate to ask what's going on, and we can ask for some reinforcements." Jack explained. Sam frowned. Spending the night at the ruins was NOT what she wanted to do, but Jack was her CO, and she didn't have a valid reason to complain. She helped set up the tent, even if she didn't want to stay here any more than she had to. She was uncomfortable, but over the years she had developed a method of falling asleep, and it worked.

* * *

_AN: I know the story doesn't reallymatch the summary just yet, but I'll be getting to that next chapter! ;p_


	3. Midnight Encounter

The moon had nearly reached its zenith when Sam awoke. The first thing she noticed was the quiet. When she had fallen asleep, the night had been filled with cricket-like sounds, but now the ruins were smothered in silence. Involuntarily, she sat up, andglanced at the forest. It was empty. Off to her right, Daniel mumbled in his sleep.

"And you say you don't talk in your sleep." She heard Jack comment softly from beside Daniel.

"Are you awake, sir?" Sam asked softly.

"No." was the response. She smiled a little at his sarcasm. She lay back down, but instead of closing her eyes, she moved until she could see the forest, and stared into its murky darkness, willing it to reveal why she should feel fear at the sight of it. 

Jack shifted uncomfortably. He had only slept in small stretches of about fifteen minutes, woken up by this thing, then that, never completely comfortable with his piece of ground. He had thought he'd cleared the groundunderneath him when he put down his bag, but apparently he'd missed a rock, and he didn't want to get up and remove it. He knew no one else was getting much sleep either. Daniel was muttering a lot more than he normally did, and he knew Teal'c was still laying there, staring up at the stars, like he was five hours ago. He had thought Sam was asleep, till she just asked him if he was awake. He was considering getting up and making a midnight trip to the gate when he heard Sam gasp. She sat up and stared into the forest. Jack scanned the tree line, but couldn't see what was causing her concern.

"What is it?" Jack asked softly. Sam shook her head slowly, as if trying to clear it.

"I thought I saw something." She replied. Jack stood up and came to sit next to her. Even in the moonlight, he could see she had turned pale.

"What?" Jack asked. She hesitated, shaking her head again.

"Almost a… centaur." She said, beginning to blush slightly. Jack raised an eyebrow in disbelief. He paused to consider it. He didn't believe her about Orlin at first, and she had turned out to be right. But then again, the ordeal with Orlin might have affected her more than they had thought.

"I probably imagined it." She informed him softly. She staredinto the forest, an almost glazed look on her face. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked. Ordinarily, she wouldn't admit to imagining things, even if everybody else knew she had. She didn't respond. "Carter?" Her face was definitely glazed over at this point. He shook her shoulder gently, then harder when she didn't respond. 

Daniel was woken up by Jack and Sam's conversation. He glanced over in time to see Jack shake her shoulder for the first time. Sam was sitting on the ground, staring into the forest, and Jack sat beside her, one hand on her shoulder, the concern on his face visible in the moonlight. He also noticed the lack of movement by Sam.

"What's wrong?" he asked, coming to crouch beside Jack to look at Sam. 

"I don't know." Jack responded. He touched her hand, and she moved it, but she still stared into the forest, eyes glazed over. "Carter? Any one home?" Suddenly she was back. 

"Sam?" Daniel asked tentatively. "What happened?"

"I…. don't know." She replied. 

"We're leaving." Jack said definitively. He stood up, followed by Daniel, and then Sam. Jack grabbed his sleeping bag, and Teal'c, who hadbeen listening to the converstation,helped get the rest packed.They finished quickly, and started for the gate. The forest was silent, with no sign of the 'centaur.' The four walked for a while, stumbling along quietly in the dark. While the trees let the sunlight in, they didn't seem to let in much moonlight. Jack declined to use his flashlight, but rather let his sense of direction led the way. Or rather, let Teal'c's sense lead the way. Everything was going well until Daniel raised a question.

"Uh, haven't we walked a lot farther than the gate is from the ruins?" There was a pause. 

"Teal'c?" 

"I am uncertain O'Neill. I have not changed direction." Jack sighed, and turned on his flashlight on for a moment. It wasn't the forest they had walked to through in between the ruins and the gate. The trees were denser, and appeared to be a different type. SG-1 was lost.


	4. An Encounter

There was a moment of silence as Jack shinned his flashlight around them and the rest glanced around them

There was a moment of silence as Jack shinned his flashlight around them and the rest followed the beam. Each was wondering what they were going to do next, but no one wanted to be the one to ask. Jack solved the dilemma by turning around and walking back the way he thought they had come. The other three followed in silence. They walked for about five minutes, but the trees did not thin, nor could they find the trail that they had made coming.

"Fine. We'll wait till morning." Jack muttered, almost to himself. He didn't want to stop here, in the middle of the forest, but they weren't going to get anywhere walking around in the dark, especially if even Teal'c couldn't use his since of direction. He turned around and motioned for Teal'c to check out the immediate area. He was going to ask Daniel to set up a tent but he was busy staring into the forest.

"What is it?" Jack asked, coming to stand beside Daniel.

"I'm not sure." Daniel said, starting into the forest. Jack watched for a moment as Daniel pushed back the tree limbs to get through.

"Daniel, get back here."

"There's something here!" Daniel called out excitedly. "Hand me your flashlight!"

"What happened to yours?" Jack muttered, but shined the light at Daniel's back. He had turned around and was pointing behind him. Jack tilted the flashlight up into the forest, but trees were not what was revealed. Instead, it was a corner made of brown stone, nearly hidden by the trees. Jack followed the corner to a roof, and then a roof to a wall.

"Come on!" Daniel called, forcing his way to the building.

"Dang it, Daniel." Jack muttered, turning back to Sam and Teal'c. They were both standing behind him, curious as to what Jack's response would be. Jack sighed.

"Come on." He said. He turned back and followed Daniel into the forest, toward the building. Daniel was plenty ahead, but he had broken branches to mark the way. The other three followed.

When Daniel reached the building, he paused to inspect it, finally pulling out his own flashlight. It was large, but appeared plain. There could have been artwork on the sides of walls, but the forest had almost completely covered the outside of the building. Trailing vines had climbed all the way up to the roof, and covered most of the wall. At first, the wall appeared to be solid, but Daniel noticed a hole in the vines, and found a small door that allowed entrance. Daniel waited for the other three to catch up before entering the building. As he waited, he examined the material that the building was made of. Like he had assumed, it was rough stone, cold against his hand. He shown his light on the stone, and was surprised to see that it appeared to be the same strange stone that the steps to the stargate where made of. He wanted to tell the other three about this coincidence once they arrived, but Sam was frowning, distracted by something in her mind, and Jack was frowning at him. He thought it best to wait until morning when they would be in a better mood. Daniel led the way into the building. The small door led to a plain anteroom, which in turn led to a large dark room. Daniel shined his flashlight into the room, and Jack and Sam added their lights. The walls were lined with shelves of stone, probably carved out of the walls themselves, but most of the shelves were empty. The few that had things sitting on them consisted of clay bowls that had been broken and a pile of rocks, probably left by a child. On one wall, the vines had made it through the top and were starting to climb down the inside. The oddest thing of the room was the temperature. It was quite a bit warmer than the air outside the building.

"Why don't we spend the rest of the night in here?" Sam asked, finally feeling comfortable on this strange planet. Almost as soon as she stepped into the building, she felt the tension she hadn't realized that had built up release. She had the feeling that nothing would bother them here.

"Yeah, I guess." Jack answered, if a little reluctantly. Sam pulled out a thin blanket that was always in her pack and lay down on the ground, losing no time in settling to sleep for the remaining five hours until the sun was to rise.

Daniel, on the other hand, intended to spend the remainder of the time inspecting the shelves and bowls. He approached one shelf and picked up a bowl. Oddly, this one wasn't broken. Daniel wiped off the dust on his shirt, and was surprised by the light blue color of the clay. Suddenly, the room grew light. Daniel looked up, alarmed by the sudden change. He surveyed the room, searching for the source. Instead of the source, he found that the other three were gone. He was alone.

"This is not good." He said, walking into the center of the room. It was as light as day, and light was filtering in through holes in the roof. There wasn't even any trace of the fact that the other three had been here too. Daniel was going to investigate outside, but stopped when he heard people coming into the anteroom. He watched in surprise as about six people lined into the room, each carrying a bowl filled with one sort of fruit or another. They were silent; each dressed in a dark cloak covering them from head to foot. Daniel couldn't see their faces, nor tell if they were even human. They ignored him, taking the bowls to the shelves and leaving them there. They continued to ignore Daniel as they left the same way they had come. Daniel was going to follow until he heard music, coming from the far wall. He looked, but couldn't see what the source was. He walked to the wall, searching. Suddenly the music stopped, and he heard another noise—this time, a menacing growl coming from the direction of anteroom.

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_bet you'll never guess what's there! ;)_


	5. Encounter Cont

_A/N-- Sorry this took so long, but between graduation, a faulty computer, and getting a bunch of new Doctor Who books ;), I haven't done much writing. The next chapter should be up a LOT sooner._

Daniel froze, listening as the growling came closer as the thing moved into the main room

Daniel froze, listening as the growling came closer as the thing moved into the main room. His eyes widened in shock when he saw what it was. It was Sam's centaur. It fit the stereotypical description of a centaur—body of a paint pony, the arms, chest, and head of a man. The human part had brown hair and eyes that matched the base of the paint body's coat. It carried a large stick in one hand. The thing that worried Daniel was that the centaur was still growling softly, and the man did not look intelligent enough to carry on a conversation. For a moment, Daniel thought he might be going crazy; but that thought was forgotten when the creature began to walk towards him. It glanced back and forth across the back wall, its glaze seeming to pass right over Daniel. He remained frozen as the creature approached him, too shocked to even think to say anything. He, or at least Daniel assumed it was a he since it had the head of a man, sniffed the air cautiously, continuing to approach Daniel. Suddenly, the animal lunged at him. Daniel dropped, covering his head, but instead of an attack, he heard the animal running passed him. He poked up his head, and glanced behind him. The centaur had grabbed a piece of fruit and was sniffing at it, completely ignoring him. Daniel cautiously approached the centaur, hoping he wasn't tempting fate. He reached out his hand slowly, hoping it wouldn't turn around and hit him upside the head with the club. He expected the flank of the centaur to be like any other horse's flank, but when he went to touch it, his hand went right through. He glanced back and forth between the animal and his hand for a moment, and then realized with a start that he was still holding the blue bowl. He dropped it, and the room was instantly dark once again. The other three members of SG-1 were there once again. They were looking at him, and at the broken pieces of the bowl blue where he had dropped it. He simply looked back at them, at a lost of what to say.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked from the floor. Daniel had a slightly shocked look on his face, and he held his hands as if the blue bowl still sat in them.

"Uh," he started, and shook his head. "You'd never believe me."

"Try us." Jack commented. Sam sat up and watched as Daniel looked between the broken pieces and his hands, then to her.

"I saw your centaur." He managed to say. She raised her eyebrows in a Teal'cish manner.

"Her centaur?" Jack asked. Daniel nodded.

"I picked up that bowl, and then it was suddenly light," he told them briefly about what he had seen, and waited for their reaction. Sam glanced at the bowl. She got up and fingered the pieces. They appeared to be simply clay, nothing unusual about them. She glanced back up at Daniel, but he remained silent.

"Are you quite certain that you have not imagined this, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked. Daniel shook his head.

"I don't think so," He said hesitantly. Sam picked up several pieces and stowed them in her vest.

"Carter?" Jack asked inquiringly.

"If Daniel didn't imagine it, then these pieces could be interesting to study." She informed him matter-of-factly. Jack shook his head.


	6. Chapter 6

Here they were, lost on some alien planet, and she was most interested in the scientific properties of a clay bowl

Here they were, lost on some alien planet, and she was most interested in the scientific properties of a clay bowl.

The remainder of the night passed quietly. Sam slept peacefully, but the other three remained awake. As soon as it began to grow light in the building, Jack woke Sam and the four left. Sam watched sadly as the building grew smaller and smaller. It was safe there; she didn't like being back out in the forest. Who knows what could be out there. She shook her head, surprised at herself. Since when was she scared of anything that could be in this forest?

Jack took the rear end of the group as they left the building, letting Teal'c lead the way. The path of broken twigs from last night was still clear, and Teal'c had an easy time following it. Jack watched Sam with increasing worry. She kept glancing behind them at the building. She had been reluctant to leave. They were lost on an alien planet with hostiles from the gate and possible mythical creatures and Sam had wanted to remain. The only way he could be more worried was if she had voiced her wish to stay. He watched as she looked around her warily, and then shook her head. He was going to get them off this planet as soon as possible, even if it took a firefight for the gate.

The forest remained quiet around them, only the occasional chirp to break the silence. Teal'c continued to lead them, but it was hard to tell if they were going the right direction to reach the gate. Jack was worried that they might be heading away from the gate, getting further and further from their only means of leaving. They could wander around in the forest for days. With this thought in mind, Jack eyed the forest around them. If they didn't run into the group from the gate, he thought they could handle surviving in the forest. It certainly didn't appear to be a hostile environment in the warm morning sun. He felt none of the misgivings he had felt earlier. They had walked for nearly two hours when Jack began to notice a change in the forest around them. Once again the trees were thinner, and more sunlight filtered in through the canopy. They had reached the forest area surrounding the gate. He heard Daniel breathe a sigh of relief. Jack felt like echoing it.

"Nice job Teal'c." Jack commented, joining him at the front of their procession. Rather than relieved, though, Teal'c looked worried.

"I did not know the way O'Neill." Teal'c confided quietly. "I did not intentionally bring us here." Jack hesitated.

"Don't say anything to the other two." He responded quietly. "What matters now is that we leave."

"You are absolutely right, Colonel Jack O'Neill." A voice suddenly said from inside the forest. Jack instinctively dropped to one knee, gun trained on the spot he thought the voice had come from. "You should leave as soon as possible." The voice continued, coming closer. Jack could now tell it was a man's voice, full of authority and contempt. "To that end, I'm here to help you." The voice finished, the owner finally coming into view. Jack blinked in surprise at the sight. It was a centaur. There was no doubting Sam or Daniel now. And it certainly was a centaur—head and chest of a man about thirty, and the body of a horse. A strawberry roan, a small voice in Jack's mind said idly as Jack continued to stare in shock. The centaur looked at the humans' weapons cautiously, stopping before he was threatingly close. He held a small device in his hand, and Jack eyed it anxiously. Up to this point, the centaur had only been looking at him, but now his eyes roamed over the other three and stopped on someone behind Jack. He glanced over his shoulder; afraid he already knew exactly who he was looking at. It was Sam; she was in the same position as he, looking back at the centaur with curiosity.

"You want to help us leave?" Daniel piped up. The centaur's gaze returned to Jack.

"Yes," he moved his hand to draw attention to the device he held. "This is a remote dialer. You can use it to get through the gate. I suggest you go soon."

"Why do you want to help us?" Jack asked.

"You've seen the people who came through the gate after you, yes?" the centaur asked. Jack nodded. "They've been hunting us. In order to fight them, we need you out of the way. You have no part of our war, but some warriors won't care if you're with the other group or not. They kill humans on sight."

"They're hunting you?" Sam asked, surprise and a hint of concern clear in her voice. Jack frowned.

"Yes," the centaur responded.

"How do you know we're not with the other group?" Daniel asked guardedly. Jack was glad someone knew what was important to ask.

"We have our ways of telling. I do not have the time to stand here answering questions. Do you wish to leave or not?" the centaur asked, irritated.

"Yes, of course." Daniel answered. The centaur nodded and handed the device to Jack. He rose and took it hesitatingly, quickly handing it to Sam.

She took the device and turned it over in her hands. It was fascinating to look at. The outside was rock, forming a case for what she was sure was a crystal power core. The top was similar to a DHD, minimized. It had all the symbols, and activated the gate with a button of sorts on the side. It was about the size of both her hands together. She looked up to thank the centaur, but it was already gone. She glanced over at the other three. Daniel was looking at the device in her hand, Teal'c was keeping watch on the forest around them, and Jack was studying her, concern showing on his face. She was momentarily irked that Jack was worried about her, but that faded as she realized she was glad to have friends that were as close as family, and worried about each other as such.

"Let's go test it out, shall we?" Jack asked. Teal'c nodded and started out into the woods, the rest following. Teal'c lead them to the spot where they had first studied the other humans coming out of the gate. The five guards were still there, keeping watch.

"Dial up the alpha site first. I don't want a radio signal from Earth to give us away just yet." Jack whispered to Sam as she began to dial. The guards turned toward the gate, weapons ready, as the gate began to dial. They watched as the stargate opened, but nobody appeared. It closed a few seconds later. The guards eyed it suspiciously, but apparently didn't think anything of it. Sam hoped that they would simply assume that it was an incoming wormhole, and never think to investigate it.

"Well, it works. Now, how do we actually get to and through the gate?" Daniel asked. They all shared a glance. They had no idea.


	7. Disappeared

_A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this updated. That's what happens when college sucks your life ;). For anyone who's still reading this, I should have the next chapter up in about two or three weeks. Merry Christmas!

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_

_Last time: "Well, it works. Now, how do we actually get to and through the gate?" Daniel asked. They all shared a glance. They had no idea._

Jack hesitated, thinking over their options. He didn't want to ask for reinforcements; they might be killed as soon as they came through the gate. He couldn't risk sending a grenade through to clear the way, not knowing the full story behind the centaurs' 'war'. As it stood, they didn't have a lot of options.

"What do you think, Carter?" Jack asked, seeking input that perhaps he had missed. There was no response. "Carter?" He glanced to where she had just been sitting a moment ago; she wasn't there. Jack glanced around, but there was no sign of her.

"Where'd Carter go?" he asked the other two. They glanced around them, startled. Nobody heard her go, and there was no trace of where she had gone. Jack said an unpleasant word and got up, surveying the forest around them. It hadn't changed at all since they had arrived at this point, and the sounds of foreign birds and insects still permeating the air. The only tracks were those of the centaurs and the tracks that the four of them had made coming in.

"Do you want us to spread out and look for her?" Daniel asked.

"No," Jack said immediately. "We can't risk being lost separately. We need to stick together." He glanced down at the centaur tracks on the ground, a suspicion forming. It was hard to see, but amidst the hoof marks, an Earth-style boot mark was visible. Jack mentally kicked himself. He should have paid more attention to her. He could tell the centaur had a more than just an innocent interest in her, and she had been acting strangely since they had first arrived. Why didn't he believe her when she saw it for the first time? He should have realized that the fact that only she could see it could never be a good thing.

Daniel knelt beside Jack at the centaur's tracks. He could see the boot marks as well, and knew the blood drained out of his face. Why would she follow the centaur? He certainly didn't trust the creature, but he wouldn't have even considered following it. He turned to Jack, to ask him what to do next, but noticed that Jack was staring into the forest, the way the tracks led. Or rather, his head was turned in the direction of the tracks. He was looking in rather than out.

"Don't beat yourself up," Daniel told him quietly. He hadn't spent the last five years with his head in the sand—he could tell when Jack was taking all the responsibility on himself. "We all noticed she was acting strangely; but how were we to know she'd run off after the centaur?" Jack only nodded absentmindedly. Daniel shook his head, and glanced over at Teal'c. His head was swiveling in all directions—keeping a close lookout.

"We'll follow the centaur tracks." Jack said, standing up. "I know he has something to do with this." Daniel didn't bother to comment. He just nodded his head and followed as Jack took the lead. Teal'c did the same. After the first couple of feet, the tracks became less obvious. Daniel had a hard time following them, not sure if what he saw was the centaur or if they had made the marks coming this way, but Jack walked on ahead confidently. The three remained silent, Jack focused on the tracks in front of him, Daniel trying to see that tracks that Jack was following, and Teal'c keeping a close eye on the land behind them. Suddenly Daniel felt Teal'c place a hand on his shoulder. He reached up and tapped Jack and dropped to the forest floor. Jack did as well, turning to eye Teal'c. Teal'c nodded off to the right, and both Jack and Daniel followed his gaze. Less than twenty yards away stood a group of the other humans, looking right where they hid. Daniel hoped it was just coincidence, until one of the others spoke.

"We know you're there; come out with your hands clearly visible, and we'll not shoot." A voice called calmly. The three had no choice. They stood, hands clearly away from their weapons.


	8. Explanations

There were four of the others; they looked like they were part of the five that had originally come through the gate. There was a blond man, looking as though he was itching to use the gun that he held, an older brunette, a red head man, and, who appeared to be the leader, a tall black haired man, the dangerous looking gun held in his hands pointed directly at Jack.

"Don't be stupid, Cal. Just shoot them; those are our orders." The young man commented, pointing his head directly at Daniel's head. The leader, Cal, simply glanced over at the young man and he lowered his weapon.

"They were conversing with the centaur. I want to know why." The last part of the statement was clearly directed at Jack. He hesitated, glancing at the other two before answering.

"He wanted us to leave. Said he wanted us out of the way so he could take care of you." The other leader snorted.

"He would. As soon as you stepped out to go through the chaapa'ai, you'd be dead." He told them casually. Jack was inclined to believe him—the centaur had quickly made it to his enemy list.

"And I suppose you'd simply let us walk right through." Jack replied. The other four laughed.

"Most certainly not. We would shoot you as well." The leader told them coolly.

"I guess we're dead either way, right?" Daniel piped up. The leader shrugged.

"I didn't say that. If you try to go through the chaapa'ai, then yes, you're dead either way, but I don't think everything on this planet needs to be eradicated, unlike some others." He looked pointedly at the young blond man. "That's why I'm talking to you here, instead of bringing you into the camp. They'd not let me do that, and I think it may be helpful to know why you're here." No one spoke. The leader sighed and raised his gun to point once again at Jack. "Let me put it this way. Either you talk, and maybe I let you live, or you don't talk, and you die here and now." Jack frowned. This was getting worse and worse, and the longer they stood here talking to 'Cal', the chances of finding Sam diminished. Daniel tapped his arm slightly, and Jack nodded. Let Daniel do the talking. At least that would give him time to think of a way out of this predicament.

"We're here as explorers. We just came to look at the ruins over by the …chaapa'ai. We had no idea that the centaurs were here." Daniel explained. The young man and the woman looked doubtful, but the other spoke up.

"We did find brushes at the ruins. They might have left them there."

"If you were simply exploring the ruins, why are you so far from the ruins?" the leader asked, almost sarcastically.

"We were leaving the ruins to go back through the chaapa'ai when you came through. After watching you kill a deer for no good reason, we thought it safer to return to the ruins. On the way, we sort of...got lost." Daniel explained. Jack shook his head. The others could have done without that bit of information. The blond man burst out laughing, but the leader remained solemn.

"We've heard of that happening when the centaurs are around. Where did they lead you?" he asked. Suddenly, Jack had had enough of the questions.

"Look. We don't have any business with you or the centaurs. We simply want to find our companion and leave."

"And we just can't let you leave." The leader insisted.

"And why the hell not?" The others glanced around themselves. The woman nodded and the leader frowned.

"Do you people realize that the centaurs were psychic?" the leader asked.

"We had a suspicion." Jack told him. Daniel glanced at him in surprise. He hadn't even considered it; thinking about it, though, it made sense. Daniel didn't think Jack would have made that connection before he had.

"Well, we don't know if you're under the control of the centaurs. You said yourselves that you got lost, which means you are susceptible to it, so they could make you go through the chaapa'ai and then return to our home planet and destroy it while we're here trying to stop it." The leader explained.

"What exactly is going on here?" Jack insisted.

"We're at war with the centaurs. They came to our planet a couple of years ago, pretending to be 'explorers' themselves. They became our allies, were invited to the planet in a large group, and then they attacked. They took over the leaders, who in turn began to kill one another. Luckily, someone realized what was going on in time to stop them, since some of us were immune to the centaurs. We declared war on them, and managed to drive them off the planet. Unfortunately, they took some of us with them. The scientists think it's so that they can figure out why some of us are immune and can finish taking over the planet." The leader explained. "You said you were looking for your companion. I assume the centaur you were conversing with took him. All he has to do is plant an idea in her head and she'll go wherever he wants her to. And if none of you are immune, it's because he likes her, which is never a good sign when it comes to centaurs."


	9. Chapter 9

"Why did they come here?" Jack asked, trying to think beyond the worry that Sam was 'liked' by the potential enemy.

"We think this was their home planet at one time." The older brunette spoke up. "The casings they use for their instruments have some very unusual iron alloys in them, and this planet is the only one we've been able to find the alloy on in the indigenous rocks."

"So you came here, to their home planet, to wipe them out before they could do the same to you?" Daniel asked.

"Essentially, yes." Jack shook his head. He didn't really care about the hows and whys to the group's intentions; all he wanted was to find Sam and go home. Suddenly, shouting could be heard from the west.

"That's Jornan's group," the brunette stated, peering through the trees.

"Are you sure?" the leader asked; the brunette glared at him in response. The leader hesitated, glancing between the humans and the direction the shouting had come from. They could hear another shout, and the leader motioned for his group to follow him to the west.

"But what about them?" the young blond man whined, not moving.

"Leave them! We can deal with them later!" the leader replied harshly. The blond man opened his mouth to respond, but the leader was already heading into the trees. The blond man spared them one glare before following, leaving the three humans standing alone in the forest. Once the sounds of the other group dissipated, the forest became silent around them again. No one bothered to ask what they did now. With the other group headed in the opposite direction of the tracks, they were going to find Sam and find some way off this planet. They walked on, with Jack still tracking and Teal'c keeping a close lookout, for at least a half hour. Daniel quickly gave up trying to follow the tracks on the ground himself and began, instead, to watch the forest around them. He was the first to notice the building rising out of the forest several yards ahead of them. He recognized it as the building they had spent the previous night in. He tapped Jack on the shoulder and pointed up to the bit of roof and wall that he could see. Jack nodded, unsurprised that the centaur would return here. Jack motioned for Teal'c to go in first, being the most stealthy of the three.

"Just go and check for guards of any kind. Don't use your radio, in case there's something hiding in the trees." Jack told him. Teal'c nodded and melted into the trees. Jack and Daniel crouched down on the forest floor to await his return. It didn't take long.

"There does not appear to be anyone on the outside of the building." Teal'c said quietly, crouching down with them. "I do not know about the interior, but voices can be heard." Jack nodded, and the three stood and made their way to the side of the building. They met no one on the way, even at the front door. Daniel went to go in, but Jack stopped him.

"We can't just go in; we've no idea how many hostiles there are, and we can't risk hitting Carter with friendly fire."

"Then what do we do?" Daniel asked. Jack was saved from replying with an 'I don't know' by the sounds of hooves approaching the outer door. The three quickly retreated into the forest and crouched down in the trees, watching as a centaur came out of the front entrance, followed by another. They stood guard over the front door. The three shared a glance. Now Sam was trapped in the building, with who knew how many centaurs.

Sam woke on a cool stone floor. She was momentarily disoriented; the last thing she remembered was dialing the alpha gate. She couldn't even remember if it had connected or not. She rubbed a hand over her face and sat up. She glanced around her, noting with surprise that she was back in the building they had slept in. There were three centaurs standing in one corner, talking quietly amongst themselves. From what little Sam could hear she could tell they weren't speaking English. As she watched, two of them bowed to the other by going down on their front knees, then rose and went out of the room. The remaining centaur watched them go, and then turned to Sam.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you." The centaur told her softly, smiling comfortingly at her. Sam realized that she felt completely comfortable in this creature's presence, a feeling that worried her. Somehow, she was under this creature's influence. One part of her realized that and tensed, but another told her she was being silly—the centaur meant her no harm.

"What do you want?" she tried to ask, but nothing came out. She frowned and tried again, to no success. The centaur's smile turned down, and he turned away from her.

"You are strong;" he told her over his shoulder. "You shouldn't even be awake." He walked off a couple of feet, and stopped to pick something up. He turned back to her and she could see it was the bowl that Daniel had dropped and broken.

"If it hadn't been for your stupid friend, I would have control over all four of you by now." He continued. "When my sister arrives, however, we will have the ability to control all the humanoids that have dared to step foot on this planet." He eyed her and she felt herself stand. "But I don't believe you and your friends will live to see that." Sam began to walk to the entrance. She tried to make her feet stop, but they wouldn't listen any better than her vocal chords had. "They will reveal themselves when they see you, and when they do…" the centaur trailed off, but it was apparent by the smile on the creature's face what he had in mind.


	10. Escape

Jack quickly went through the options in his head. There weren't many. Beyond an attack on the front entrance and fighting their way, he couldn't see any way in. He was eyeing the centaurs looking for any visible weakness when they tensed, staring off to the right. Jack followed their gaze; he could just make out another group moving through the trees. Jack turned slightly to watch them approach, but hoof beats drew his attention back to the centaurs. A third centaur exited, followed by Sam. Jack rose, and heard Teal'c and Daniel do the same behind him. At first, Jack was relived to see that her eyes did not seemed glazed over before realizing they were instead flashing with fear and anger. She opened her mouth at the sight of them, but no sound came out. The centaur reached over and patted her on the head. She looked as though she would have bitten him if she could have.

"I'm so glad you're already here; it will make it so much easier to eliminate you pesky humans." The centaur taunted them. One of the guarding centaurs spoke up, urgently saying something in its own language. The leader's head snapped to the right, where the other group had taken up positions.

"This is end, Druno." One of the other humans called. The centaur snarled as they raised their weapons at him. He grabbed Sam and moved her in front of him, as a shield.

"Stop!" Jack yelled in desperation, and the other group hesitated, but didn't lower their weapons. Jack knew from the other group's angle and distance they would be just as likely to hit Sam as they were to hit the centaur. Jack would have already shot the centaur himself, but he couldn't take the risk of somehow injuring Sam as well. He raised his gun, trying to find a safe shot, and for an instant, his and Sam's eyes met.

Sam tried to resist as the centaur hauled her in front of him, but to avail. Her feet simply wouldn't respond. She could see the guns of the other group, and knew if they fired, she would be caught in the crossfire.

"Stop!" she heard the shout and knew instantly it was Jack. Her head turned almost of its own accord to look in his direction. She felt a thrill of victory at the motion. Her eyes met Jack's, and she could see his hesitation and concern. She knew he would have a clear line of fire if it weren't for her. She glanced up. The centaur was still concerned with the other group of humans. She put all her concentration on her knees. After what seemed like hours, they finally began to respond to her commands. She dropped to the forest floor; Jack fired, and everything went dark.

As if Jack's shot had been the signal, the others opened fire and eliminated the other two centaurs. There was a moment of silence, then the other group turned and retreated. Jack let them go, more concerned with the prone figure of his 2IC. He rushed over, followed closely by Daniel and Teal'c. He knelt next to her, gently shaking her shoulder and calling her name. It took a few minutes, but finally her eyes fluttered open. She groaned, and put a hand to her head. Jack helped her to sit up, and the three waited expectantly for her to say something.

"Is…is he dead?" she asked, glancing over to the bodies of the centaurs. Teal'c leaned over and examined the body.

"Indeed." He responded. Sam nodded, and closed her eyes again.

"Are you alright?" Daniel asked. She nodded again, opened her eyes and stood.

"Let's go home." She said. The others agreed.

Teal'c took point, leading them back to the gate. They moved slowly and cautiously, expecting to run into another group of humans or centaurs. They met none. The forest was quiet, save the sounds of an occasional bird or small creature; but when they approached the clearing where the gate sat, they could hear voices and movement. The four crouched at the tree line, watching as the gate opened and several of the others walked through. It was apparent they were leaving—they were even taking their version of the malp back through. Soon, only one remained. Jack took out his monocular and studied him. It was the leader of the group that had caught them in the forest. He glanced at the other three. They could take just one—but why had just one remained?

"Why did one stay?" Sam asked quietly, musing.

"Why don't we go ask?" Daniel suggested, standing. Jack nodded.

"Teal'c, Carter, stay here and watch our six just in case." He said. He and Daniel walked out of the trees and to the other human. He waited patiently for them.

"Did they forget you?" Jack asked casually as he and Daniel approached. The man smiled faintly.

"I wanted to stay behind to thank you, as it were." He responded.

"To thank us?" Daniel asked, doubtful.

"Yes; the creature you shot was the link centaur." He told them. "Like I told you before, the centaurs are telepathic. They are linked to each other, to give more power to their control of our minds. When you killed the link centaur, that connection was destroyed. Their minds couldn't handle it." He explained.

"Lucky break." Jack commented, still a little doubtful.

"Actually, it was the arrogance of the creature that saved us. If he hadn't wanted your friend for himself, he never would have risked his own life like he did. Either way, we are done here. You can leave now too." He told them.

"Thanks." Jack said, not entirely insincere. The man nodded, and turned back to the gate. After he had gone, and the gate had disconnected, the other two joined Jack and Daniel at the gate and they too returned home.


End file.
